Seepersad: Put politics in quarantine

JUSTICE Frank Seepersad is advocating that in the fight against the coronavirus, politicians must put politics in quarantine.

He said there is no room for allegiance to red, yellow or moneyed interest in this battle.

“All agents of divisiveness must be dismissed and all citizens need to focus upon a commonality of purpose,” he said in a virtual sermon preached for Easter Sunday through the Presbyterian Church Without Walls televised programme,

Seepersad who is a lay preacher with the Presbyterian Church, said to win this war which has infected over two million people around the globe, three "W’s" are required: warriors, warfare and weapons.

He quoted scripture which “exhorts us to put on the full armour of God, so we can stand against the devil’s schemes. It is important for us all to assume our roles as warriors from the youngest to the oldest mindful that the makings of a warrior are not dependent upon physical stature.”

He said prayer is the prized weapon in the arsenal, and: “As soldiers of humanity marching into war we must be resolute in our commitment to overcome this virus. In this army there can be no allegiance to red, yellow or moneyed interests.”

He said all agents of divisiveness must be dismissed because in this battle, “unity is our greatest strength and we cannot afford for discord to demarcate our downfall.

“As a people, our commitment has to be resolute as we work together for the collective good.”

He said, “This cannot be a time when there is an emphasis upon scoring political points, for the display of one-upmanship or for the cementing of financial dominance.”

Noting that this viral enemy is invisible but has far-reaching effects and is lethal, he said warriors must be patient, alert and vigilant, as the war has no definite end date.

The path towards victory must also involve prayerful, measured and apolitical policy decisions.

"A heightened degree of leadership and selfless service in all areas of national life and the tenets upon which this republic was forged must be preserved and rule of law must be prioritised and protected.

“The judicial system, for example, cannot adopt an emergency mindset, and must ensure that justice is not delayed. Ultimately the institution must remain fiercely independent and has to be vigilant so as to ensure that it protects the public interest against potential constitutional overreach or the unjustified curtailment of constitutional rights, whether through military control or increased surveillance.”

To this end, Seepersad said all leaders in every sphere of activity must now implement and support decisions devoid of partisan, ethnic or insular considerations and premised on the greater societal good.